In anthropology, magic, sorcery and witchcraft represent belief systems found in all cultures of the world and throughout history—and even in prehistory. “Magic” is a real practice based in universal ideas of cause-and-effect relationships in nature, and it probably represents fundamental human ways of thinking. “Sorcery” is the use of magic for harmful or selfish ends. It is universally condemned, outlawed, and punishable. “Witchcraft” is a complex system of beliefs in unspeakable evil practices which in most societies are vested in one imaginary being, the witch; in a few societies they are distributed among various nocturnal fiends and monsters; in all cases they constitute people’s deepest fears.
Material is drawn from the Bible, medieval European and 17th century American witchcraft beliefs, world ethnology, and popular “New Age” beliefs. It is shown that “Voodoo” and other Afro-Caribbean belief systems are full-fledged religious systems, not sorcery or witchcraft in the universal sense; neither are Wicca or other neo-pagan religions.
Also considered are such phenomena as demon possession, the evil eye; werewolves, vampires, zombies, wild people, secret societies of the night, satanic cults, and other monsters and bogey-men of folklore; and the madness of society-wide “witch hunts,” both in traditional and in modern times.
Understanding the anthropological meaning of these terms and concepts reveals some fundamental characteristics of belief and behavior shared by all people, regardless of race, class, or educational background.
APY 499 Recitation, students should register for APY 377, MWF, 10:00–10:50 a.m., during their registration window for 3 credits. You will be force registered into APY 499H. APY 499H will meet for 2 hours every other week, to explore in depth some of the major issues introduced in the lecture course. Some additional readings will be assigned. Regular attendance is required and adequate preparation is expected, so that all students can participate in seminar discussions. Students will conduct a project of orginal research on a topic of their choosing which will result in an oral presentation to the seminar and a 10–12 page paper. Some time in the seminar will be spent on the processes of conducting archival research and constructing a scholarly paper. One early session will be led by a librarian in the University Library who will instruct us in the nature and use of various appropriate databases.
Phillip S. Stevens Jr., Ph.D., has offered this course regularly for over 25 years and has frequently offered seminars for the Honors College. He is the author of many scholarly publications on these topics and other topics in cultural anthropology. He has conducted fieldwork in West Africa and the Caribbean, and in multi-ethnic communities of North America. He is the Director of Undergraduate Studies in the Department of Anthropology.